Bottle pourer



1966 D. A. ZIMMERMAN ETAL 3,235,133

BOTTLE POURER Filed May 15, 1964 m m e m m Z A m n m m V e L W M. r 0 8 6 M w M United States Patent M 3,235,133 BOTTLE POWER 1 Don A. Zimmermanand George W. Leventon,-. both of 918 Sycamore, Modesto, Calif. Filed May 15, 1964,.Ser; No. 367,686 Claims. (Cl; 222-189) The present invention generally relates to apouring device for use in combination with liquid containing bottles such as bottles for alcoholic beverages or other liquids such as acids and the like by which the contents of the bottle maybe easily poured from the bottle with out less of the contents and in aneflicient' manner;

' Pouring devices have been provided in which there is a stopper-like adapter inserted into the neck of the bottle with the stopper having a pouring tube and a breathing tube extending therethrough; Such devices operate but as is well-known, the insidediameter of the necks of various bottles do not conform to any specific standard. Thus, in order to properly seal the pouring device to the neck of the bottle, various pourers with different diameter stoppers incorporated thereon must be available in order tomake sure that a pourer with a proper size stopper has been inserted into the neck of the bottle in order to provide an adequate seal. Otherwise; the contents of the bottle may leak around the stopper or else the stopper may come completely out of the bottle.

Accordingly, the present invention has for its primary object the provision of a pourer having a tapered expendible' stopper incorporated thereon together with a novel means for actuating such expandable stopper for securely mounting the pourer in the bottle'and sealing the pourer to the neck of the bottle to prevent accidental disengagement thereof and to prevent leakage by the pourer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable pourer which will fit'diiferent size bottle necks thereby eliminating the need for several different size corks and will save bartenders much time and confusion as well asfieliminat'e much waste and sloppiness caused by leaking pou'rers or pourers which pop out of the neck of the bottle during the pouring operation especially when the bartender is in a hurry and will quickly tilt a bottle thus bringing the liquid" contents therein into rapid engagement with the pourer structure which sometimes causes the pourer structure to be disengaged and popped out of the neck of the bottle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pourer incorporating a stopper thereon together with a manual mechanism for expanding the stopper into tight sealing and retaining engagement with the neck of the bottle and enabling the pourer to be inserted into bottles having different size necks within certain limits as currently being employed for bottling various alcoholic beverages and the like.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a pourer having an expandable adjustable stopper thereon together with the breather tube incorporated therein and a pouring tube with the mechanism for operating the expandable stopper being independent of the pouring and breathing tube but also having means thereon for securing the stopper in place and also serving to release the stopper when it is desired to remove the pourer from the neck of the bottle.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a pourer which is simple in construction, easy to install, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and efficient for its particular purposes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accom- Patented Feb. 15, 1966 panying drawings forming a part hereof, where like numerals refer to like paits throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the pourer of the present invention installed in a bottle;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the pourer when it has been removed from the bottle;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the structural details of the pourer including its relationship to the neck of the bottle;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 illustrating the structural. details of the mechanism for rotating the stop;

FIGURES is a perspective view of the threaded shank of the expanding mechanism for the pourer;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the cap for turning the stopper and for operating the expanding mechanism; and

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view of the stopper.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the pourer of the present invention adapted to be inserted into a container such as a bottle 12 having liquid material 14 therein and including a neck 16 having an opening 18 communicating the interior of the bottle 12 for pouring the liquid contents 14 therefrom.

' Inserted into the opening 18 of the neck 16 of the bottle 12 is a tapered stopper 20 of cork or equivalent material. The tapered stopper 20 includes a longitudinal bore 22 extending therethrough and a substantially flat bottom end 24 and a substantially flat top end 26 with the bottom end 24 having a diameter substantially less than the diameter of the top end 26 for insertion into bores H 18 having different diameters and different shape charact'eristics.

Disposed within the bore 22 is an elongated tube 28 of rigid plastic or other suitable material with the lower end of the tube 28 tapering outwardly as at 3%) to form a wedging action when moved into the bore 22 for spreading the lower end 24 of the stopper outwardly. An intermediate portion of the tube 28 is provided with threads 32 thereon for threadedly receiving a cap 34 which has a generally bell-shaped configuration and provided with a knurled bottom flange 36 for ease of gripping thereof for enabling rotation of the cap 34. The interior of the cap is threaded for threaded engagement with the threads 32 on the tube 28. The outer end of the tube 28- may be curved as at 38 or straight and provided with a screen 40 held in place by a snap ring 42 received in a groove 4-4 adjacent the free end of the tube 28 thus preventing entry of insects or the like such as gnats.

Extending coaxially within the tube 23 is a breather tube 46 having a tapered or inclined lower end 48 disposed below the lower end of the outwardly flared end portion 30 of the tube 28. The upper end of the tube 46 extends laterally and projects outwardly through the tube 28in sealed relation thereto as at 50 for admitting air into the interior of the bottle 12 for enabling displacement of the liquid 14 through the hollow tube 28 and out through the discharge end thereof. The point of communication 50 of the breather tube 46 with the atmosphere is longitudinally outwardly of the threaded portion 32 as illustrated in FIGURE 5 so that the breather tube 46 will not be obstructed by the actuating cap 34.

The bottom of the cap 34 is provided with a recess 52 having a plurality of radially and inwardly extending projections 54 thereon and a plurality of axially extending pins 56 extending from the bottom of the recess 52. The pins 56 are adapted to be received within sockets 58 in the top surface of the stopper 20 and the radial projections $4 are adapted to be received in notches 60 in the peripheral surface of the stopper thus enabling the cap 34 to be connected to the stopper 20 insofar as simultaneously rotation thereof is concerned.

The cap 34 may be constructed of plastic material and the stopper 20 constructed of cork or rubber material. The tube 28 may be constructed of plastic material as may the tube 46 with the end of the tube 28 either being straight or curved as illustrated. The threads 32 are preferably Acme threads for faster and easier adjustment of the device. The tube 28 has a long-flared lower end to provide a gradual tightening of the cork thereby lessening the strain on the moving parts and allowing the cork to adjust to diflerent openings in bottles. The cap tightening assembly with the knurled edges allows for better gripping action when tightening or loosening and by using the pins and notches in the cork and cap, there has been made a complete unit which permits raising and lowering of the cork in one easy operation plus giving added strength and support to all parts. The screen on the upper end of the tube prevents gnats and other foreign material from entering the bottle and fluid still can be poured from the bottle without removing a cap or turning a valve or stop cock.

The cap and the pins and projections thereon which engage the sockets and recesses in the stopper enable the stopper to be rotated into final position for assuring a proper seal and to enable the stopper to be rotated to release it from the neck of the bottle. By inserting the present invention into the neck or mouth of the bottle, the user can readily compensate for large or small openings by turning the cap and the stopper either up or down on the tube. If the bottle has a large opening, the cap is turned downward thereby causing the stopper to expand over the flared end 35) and thus enlarging the stopper to fit the opening. If the bottle has a small opening, the cap is turning upwardly thus decreasing the size of the stopper to fit the opening.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of'the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pouring device for insertion into a bottle for dispensing liquid therefrom comprising a tubular memher having a gradually enlarged tapered member at the inner end thereof for insertion into a bottle, a stopper having a bore therein receiving the tube and engaged in the neck of the bottle for forming a closure therefor, means threaded on said tube and engaging the stopper for moving the stopper longitudinally on the tube for expanding the stopper into sealing and retaining engagement with the neck of a bottle, said means for moving the tube and stopper in relation to each other including means for rotating the stopper during movement thereof, said means 4 for moving the stopper including a cap threadedly engaged on the tube for rotation thereon, said means interconnecting the cap and the stopper including projection means on said cap and recess means on said stopper for receiving the projection means for detachably interconnecting the cap and stopper for rotation together.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said tube is provided with a breather tube disposed therein and extending beyond the inner end thereof, the outer end of the breather tube being integral with the pouring tube and vented to the atmosphere in spaced relation to the discharge end thereof. 1

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 together with a screen attached and overlying the outer end of the tube for preventing entry of insects and other foreign material.

4. A pouring device for insertion into the neck of a bottle comprising an elongated rigid pouring tube having an outwardly flared lower end portion for insertion into the neck of the bottle, a breather tube of 'less cross sectional area than the pouring tube dis-posed therein and communicating with the atmosphere adjacent the outer.

end of the tube and communicating with the interior of the bottle inwardly of the inner end of the pouring tube, a stopper longitudinally and rotationally movable on the pouring tube for engagement with the tapered end portion thereof for expansion and contraction during longitudinal movement, said pouring tube having a screwt-hreaded portion, a cap threaded on said screwthreaded portion of the pouring tube, means on the. cap engaging the stopper for moving the stopper rotationally and longitudinally in relation to the pouring tube for securely sealing the stopper to the neck of the bottle and enabling remova thereof.

5. A pouring device for insertion into the relatively small neck of a container for dispensing liquid therefrom comprising a substantially rigid pouring tube having an outwardly tapering inner end portion adapted to be inserted into the neck of the container and communicated with the interior thereof, the outer end of the tube terminating in a discharge spout, a stopper mounted on said tube for rotational and longitudinal movement and adapted to be inserted into the neck of the container, cap means threaded onto said tube and engaging said stop per for moving the stopper longitudinally on the tube for expanding the stopper as it moves onto the tapering inner end of the tube and means releasably interconnecting the stopper and cap means for rotating the stopper simultaneously with the longitudinal expanding movement thereof for sealing and retaining engagement of the stopper with the neck of a container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Beall 2l553 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

5. A POURING DEVICE FOR INSERTION INTO THE RELATIVELY SMALL NECK OF A CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING LIQUID THEREFROM COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID POURING TUBE HAVING AN OUTWARDLY TAPERING INNER END PORTION ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE NECK OF THE CONTAINER AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE INTERIOR THEREOF, THE OUTER END OF THE TUBE TERMINATING IN A DISCHARGE SPOUT, A STOPPER MOUNTED ON SAID TUBE FOR ROTATIONAL AND LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT AND ADPATED TO BE INSERTED INTO THE NECK OF THE CONTAINER, CAP MEANS THREADED ONTO SAID TUBE AND ENGAGING SAID STOPPER FOR MOVING THE STOPPER LONGITUDINALLY ON THE TUBE 